Wednesday, December 8, 2021

† "..According To Your Word . . ."

†Saint Quote
""Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the great praise we lavish on the Mother; for the more she is honored, the greater is the glory of her Son. There can be no doubt that whatever we say in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son."
–St. Bernard of Clairvaux

†Today's Meditation
"But as great as was St. Paul's devotion to our Lord, much greater was that of the Blessed Virgin: because she was his mother, and because she had him and all his sufferings actually before her eyes, and because she had the long intimacy of thirty years with him, and because she was from her special sanctity so unspeakably near him in spirit. When, then, he was mocked, bruised, scourged, and nailed to the Cross, she felt as keenly as if every indignity and torture inflicted on him was struck at herself. She could have cried out in agony at every pang of his. This is called her compassion, or her suffering with her Son, and it arose from this that she was the 'Vessel of Devotion' unlike any other."
— Bl. John Henry Newman, p. 155

An Excerpt From
A Year with Mary, p155

†Daily Verse
"Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." Rather, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good."
–Romans 12:19-21

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St. Patapios

St. Patapios (4th c.) was born in Thebes, Egypt. His parents were prominent Christians, and his father was the governor of the region. Patapios was well-educated by the best tutors, and his learning awakened in him a desire to shun the world and its materialism and seek a life of asceticism. Inspired by the manner of life of the Church Fathers, Patapios became a desert hermit upon his father's death. He later moved away to live in a cave near Corinth, and then sailed to Constantinople to live as a simple monk in the Monastery of Blachernae. There he fasted, prayed, and performed miracles until his death at the age of 83. In the early 20th century, a local priest planning renovations discovered his relics after the saint appeared to him in a dream and informed him where they were located. His relics were found the next day holding a large wooden cross on his chest and a parchment scroll bearing his name. St. Patapios' feast day is December 8th.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lectionary: 689
Reading I

Gn 3:9-15, 20

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?"
He answered, "I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself."
Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!"
The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it."
The LORD God then asked the woman,
"Why did you do such a thing?"
The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it."

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:

"Because you have done this, you shall be banned

from all the animals

and from all the wild creatures;

on your belly shall you crawl,

and dirt shall you eat

all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

he will strike at your head,

while you strike at his heel."

The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.

Responsorial Psalm

98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R. (1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
Sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,

his holy arm.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
The LORD has made his salvation known:

in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness

toward the house of Israel.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

break into song; sing praise.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

Reading II

Eph 1:3-6, 11-12

Brothers and sisters:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.

In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.

Alleluia

See Lk 1:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

Daily Meditation: Luke 1:26-38

I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. (Luke 1:38)

Today's Gospel reading highlights for us how crucial Mary's yes was to God's plan of salvation. It shows how Mary wasn't just a docile participant in this plan: she freely offered herself to God as his handmaid, as a servant of a very lowly status. This unique woman, who was conceived without original sin, did more than just consent to having Jesus take shape in her womb for nine months. She allowed him to change the trajectory of her entire life! From the moment she said yes, Mary was no longer only the wife of Joseph. She became the mother of all believers.

Reflecting on Mary's openness to her new calling, Pope Francis once said, "Immediately upon receiving the Angel's announcement," Mary "went to share the gift of her fruitfulness with her relative Elizabeth" (Angelus, December 8, 2014). Mary wasted no time in living out her new vocation!

The Holy Father went on to say how the same holds true for us. God wants to "make of us a gift for others," just as he did for Mary. And how do we do this? By allowing the Spirit to make us "instruments of acceptance, instruments of reconciliation, instruments of forgiveness." In short, by treating the people around us with the same love and mercy that Jesus has shown us.

Take time today to reflect on the life of this humble girl from Nazareth. How can you imitate her willingness to give what she received? Especially during this season, when tensions between family members can run high, how can you act as an instrument of reconciliation, welcome, or healing? A listening ear, an offer of prayer, a readiness to forgive—it doesn't take much to be a channel of God's grace. That's because the grace comes from God, not from you. You're simply giving away the gift that he has freely given to you.

"Lord, make me your servant! Help me to be like Mary, an instrument of your grace and presence to the people around me."

Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Psalm 98:1-4
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

From Today's Holy Scripture:
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel." The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living."

The book of Genesis goes deep. It is a theological book, the beginnings of where God enters the life with mankind. And man's free will was discovered, like the curious cat. And curiosity killed the cat. After the first bite, they tasted shame, and death. They just had to know what God had chosen a mystery. There are many mysteries that still exist about our Lord. Many of which He chooses to remain a mystery, and many that are slowly being revealed as He sees fit. But, haven't you ever been in a love relationship? I'm thinking of a marriage. I'm thinking of trust. I'm thinking of total giving.

We pray in Psalms:
"The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel."

And so, God's plan is perfect. To you, it may be a mystery, but to Him, it is a perfect plan. And a way of life. Free will still exists. And marvelous things happen with the choice we can make according to His Holy will.

We heard of our Lord in the Gospel today:
"And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus."

The Holy Mystery of God enters a willing soul.

I don't believe many realize the hidden truth about today's special Mass of Obligation, for the celebration of the Immaculate Conception. Firstly, it is about the conception of Mary.

Her conception was designed from the dawn of time, to be a new dawn, a new eve. She is a spectacular creation of God, and not just a normal average person in the world, a "tool" as protestant call her. This Blessed Mother is God's special creation. She is what no other is. And what is she but a perfect companion for God, a true Mother, God's mother. And if we are God's children, she is then our Mother too.

Mother Mary grew as one of us, but she grew differently. She grew in devotion to God, the more she lived, the more she grew in total desire for God's will. And we are called to be children of this Mother. We are to follow her perfection to God. And what is her perfection but her love and affection? What is her perfection but her correction? This day is unknown, but now you know the reason for the obligation to celebrate Holy Mass in her honor.

Let us pray:
Lord, Father, may we say an pray like Our Mother:
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
And in doing so, allow us to become Thy precious child servants.
With her love that passes perfectly from Thy Precious heart.
amen.